Great Glazing: Torrington Port of Entry

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The basics: The Wyoming Highway Patrol is using electronically tintable glass to manage solar glare and heat gain at its newly built Torrington Port of Entry station north of Cheyenne, according to a release from Sage Electrochromics. The Torrington Port of Entry serves as a weigh station for the Department of Transportation, and Port of Entry agents ensure highway safety by monitoring commercial vehicle and driver compliance with state and federal laws. The agents need maximum visibility and an unobstructed view at all angles during all times of the day and in any weather condition to do their jobs, according to the release. The prior weigh station had significant glare and visibility issues. The new electronically tintable glass allows for full views without the need for interior blinds or exterior louvers to control summer and winter glare on the west and south elevations. The glass was paired with tubular skylights to reduce need for artificial lighting.

The glass and systems: SageGlass electronically controlled glazing, with four levels of transmitted light: 2 percent, 6 percent, 20 percent and 60 percent. For the project, temporary standard windows were replaced with SageGlass in one day. At the Torrington Port of Entry, SageGlass was tied into the building management system—Hutton Architecture Studio programmed light sensors to ensure that the precise amount of light permeates the building throughout the day.